I recently got one of those "free Lotto" scam emails... about 2 or 3 days ago... but before I found out online that it was a scam.. I replied asking how to claim my winnings... and included my p.o. box address... I'm concerned now that they may show up at my home town post office one day. Anyway.. I got an email today from "scam Patrol.org" and I'm not sure if it is really from them or not.. The email explains that I'm being scammed and that the criminals now have my name and address. The only people I reported this scam to was the real www.freelotto.com website telling them I recieved one of the many scam letters they had warned about on their site. But I don't remember saying I gave the scammers my address and I didn't report it to anyone else yet. Is this really people trying to help me? Should I respond liek they ask me to? To let them Know I understand what they have told me. Here is a quote in the message...

"An informant has told us that you are sending email to a known
employment scammer."

"Please send me an e-mail letting me know that you understand this
mail
and have stopped talking with this criminal."

HELP!!!!

Confused

PS... I haven't spoken with the "Free Lotto" scammers since the reply email asking how to recieve my winnings.

If you could tell us the name that the victim warner used and their email address I can tell you instantly if it is one of ours.

To reassure you, the letter you described sounds like one of our standard warning templates. Please do respond to the warner and let them know you understand the warning. Otherwise they will attempt to follow up on the warning to make sure you understood its contents.

If you are worried about the scammers having your email address, then don't be. If you stop all contact, they will simply give up.

The letter you received mentions an "employment scam". This is a different type of scam to a fake lottery. The format of this scam is that the scammer contacts a victim offering a "lucrative and highly paid job". All the victim has to do is to receive cheques, cash them in their bank account, keep 10% and forward 90% by Western Union or Moneygram to the scammer. The scam is that the cheques are fake and fraudulent. Although they appear to clear initially, they will bounce. This can happen six months, up to a year later and the bank will then pursue the victim for the money; victims can end up being charged with cheque fraud.

A cheque scam is similar, here the scammer sends a fake cheque for goods or services but "overpays". Again they ask for the excess to be sent back to the scammer by WU or Moneygram. This is a double wammy as the victim loses the goods and money.

If your victim warner has not already done so, you should be wary of further scams such as the "money recovery scam". You may receive an email from someone offering to recovery any monetary losses; for a fee. This is simply another scam.

One final thing, Scampatrol is entirely self-funding we do not accept or solicit donations. Anyone asking for money does not represent Scampatrol.